Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Harry Silver had a touch of the mid-life crisis. Plagued by doubt, fears and short-sightedness, a slightly drunk Harry wobbled into the bed of a vulnerable female colleague one night. For someone with a decent job and an adorable family, that was the tipping point. The end.

A new beginning awaited Harry, a life without his talented and beautiful wife Gina. Gina is now an opponent and their son the prize. The contest: who'll live the happiest without the other.

I'm not sure if a female reader would understand this book the way a male would. I loaned this to a close female relative and she didn't think much of it.

I re-read Man and Boy because its struck a nerve with me. I don't understand why Harry would throw his marriage over a stupid thing like this, while at the same time I do. The inside of Harry's head feels frighteningly similar, I almost couldn't believe what I was reading.

I'm not sure much we males and female understand our differences, especially when it comes to the brain. Business guru Tom Peters believes that no way men can design a women's product. Not in the way women design would. So he says, stop pretending like we can.

Man and Boy is not the most brilliant book I ever read, but it did made an impact on me in terms of its insightfulness. Hats off to Parsons for a painfully real journey into the male mind. It's also very, very funny, and have known to make grown men weep.

Sunday, 11 November 2007

This is a short continuation of the last post. I tried to find actual article on finding the kiblah in space on the Wired News but I couldn't find it. I did however find something on the article at Ted Mahsun's blog (thanks, Ted!).

And here's the link to Dr. Kamal Abdali's The Correct Qibla (.pdf file).

Friday, 2 November 2007

199x. The place, a lecture hall where an Islamic Knowledge class was being held, somewhere in a matriculation centre. The class was almost finished.

"Any questions?"

A hand went up. The lecturer gestured to approve.

"Sir, how do astronauts pray?"

Stunned silence. Everyone turned to the questioner. You can almost hear the lecturer's brain rattling.

"That's a very good question. You know, this is the kind of question we Muslims should be asking." He couldn't provide the exact answer but he was continued to discuss the role of Islamic Knowledge in these areas.

I don't know about my classmates but I know I was mind-blown. So much that I still remember the question till day, and it's been a while since the year 199x. With the recent flight of our angkasawan, I'm glad to know that the Department of Islamic Development had prepared a booklet on how to perform ibadah in space. (Sadly, the booklet is not available online.)

At least I know now that the question I heard back in 199x has now been answered.

Let me introduce you to the questioner just now. He is my old chum, one of the first persons I met when I entered the matriculation centre.

He is Rafeek, and he has started a blog. Not just any blog. He only has wrote two post so far, but they contain more knowledge than my entire blog.

About

I am a Muslim, a learner, a teacher, and a reader. Lucky to be a husband to a very patient wife. I like coffee that's not too bitter. This blog is about lots of stuff, but lately it's more about books (the easiest thing for me to write about these days). But they're not book reviews, they're book introductions. And this blog in English and Bahasa Melayu. This is also where I learn how to use them.